>> Bài liên quan: Quan chức tham nhũng Việt Nam kiếm tiền từ gỗ buôn lậu ở Campuchia
Cambodia’s forests are being felled at a shocking rate, as poachers and corrupt officials profit from the black market trade in rare wood species, which is being exported to Vietnam — and beyond.
The Aoral Wildlife Sanctuary in Kampong Speu province is just a three-hour drive from Cambodia’s capital, Phnom Penh. But the scenery here couldn’t be more different than in the sprawling metropolis — even a military outpost in the reserve is peaceful and picturesque. A traditional stilt house has hammocks, chickens and ice-cold beer. Outside, a few soldiers are playing pétanque as a black pig snuffles the earth.
But behind this idyllic scene in the Cardamom Mountains, a billion-dollar black market is thriving. Tiếp tục đọc “Corruption fueling deforestation in Cambodia: poachers and corrupt officials profit from the black market trade, being exported to Vietnam — and beyond.”
Cantonal Hojancha was once a major cattle ranching region. Most of this area was cleared for pasture only 30 years ago. Now, many of the residents have moved into the service industry, and the pasture land has slowly converted back to forest. Photo by 
CVD 